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April Rugby League Test for the Centenary

The Canberra Raiders have put out word that Australia will play New Zealand in a Rugby League test match for the centenary next April:

Australian Rugby League Commission Interim Chief Executive, Mr Shane Mattiske, today joined ACT Deputy Chief Minister and Minister for Sport Andrew Barr, Australian coach Tim Sheens, Raiders Chief Executive, Mr Don Furner, and Raiders Test star David Shillington in Canberra to announce the historic Test, which will be played at Canberra Stadium.

The Test will be the highlight of a week-long Rugby League celebration that will feature a host of community and corporate events showcasing the game’s connection with the local region.

“The Canberra Raiders are the most enduring and successful sporting brand in the nation’s capital so it’s great to be able to celebrate the Centenary of Canberra with a world-class Rugby League Test match between Australia and New Zealand,” Mr Mattiske said.

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“Canberra was a wonderful host city during the 2008 Rugby League World Cup but to have the Kangaroos playing here for the first time is a great opportunity for local fans to enjoy the excitement, pride and tradition of international Rugby League.”

Don’t get me wrong; I think this is a great move for sport in Canberra. Anything that reminds other folk that we exist and are involved in national sports competitions can only be a good thing. Just the hyperbole gets my goat.

Raiders were founded in March 1981 played their first season in ’82 and contested a grand final in ’87, winning in ’89.

So you’re about as wrong can be.

Or are you trying to say playing at seifert oval made them other than their name?

So, while the Canberra Knights were playing in 1981, the Raiders were on the books for 1982. However, given the founding date, I’ll bow to a mistake on my part.

The Raiders were incorporated as Canberra District Rugby League Football Club Ltd, which they continue to be, and played in Queanbeyan until 1990. It wasn’t until about 1994 that they dropped the “District”; before then it was seen as important to be representative of the area, rather than just the city. I’m unsure of the date; I’ll have a look to see if I still have my player information from the Harman Seadogs 🙂

While I’m looking forward to the game, I did have a bit of a lol moment…

“The Canberra Raiders are the most enduring and successful sporting brand in the nation’s capital so it’s great to be able to celebrate the Centenary of Canberra with a world-class Rugby League Test match between Australia and New Zealand,” Mr Mattiske said.

Most enduring? Nope. Canberra Knights have been playing ice hockey in a national league since 1981. Even then, the Canberra District Raiders didn’t play in Canberra until 1990.

Most successful? Nope. The Canberra Capitals have won 7 championships in 22 years (1986-2012), while the Raiders have 3.

Nothing like the ARLC pulling out all the bullshit in the name of partisan marketing.